AS Review - Jan 4, 2017

Vol. 32 01.04.17

Vol. 30 # #.#.#

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Mark di Suvero’s sculpture “For Handel” is one of Western’s signature views.

Cover photo by Janna Bodnar // AS Review Viking Union 411 516 High St. Bellingham, WA 98225 Phone: 360.650.6126 Fax: 360.650.6507 Email: as.review@wwu.edu as.wwu.edu/asreview @TheASReview facebook.com/theasreview © 2017. Published most Mondays during the school year by the Associated Students of Western Washington University.

The AS Review is an alternative weekly that provides coverage of student interests such as the AS government, activities and student life. The Review seeks to enhance the student experience by shedding light on underrepresented issues, inclusive coverage, informing readers and promoting dialogue.

IN THIS ISSUE Behind the mic at 4 KUGS

Each week we feature a top ten column curated by the fine folks at KUGS. This week, go behind the scenes to find out how the magic happens.

Western wind

5 power campaign

Students for Renewable Energy encourage university to build wind farm.

6 Minimum wage increases

Tips for surviving 7 the winter

Prepare your house to conserve energy and be ready for when that winter bug inevitably hits the school.

The AS, along with all of Washington, discusses how to move forward as minimum wage increases.

6 Outdoor Center

plans excursions

Join fellow students and enthusiastic trip leaders on journeys filled with physical activity, snow and fun.

8

“Moonlight”

AS Review reporter Julia Berkman went to see the new movie “Moonlight.”

Here, she gives her take on the story and techniques that make this film unique.

We welcome reader submissions, including news articles, literary pieces, photography, artwork, letters to the editor or anything else physically printable. Please limit letters to 300 words, include your name, phone number and year in school. Send all submissions to as.review@wwu. edu. Published letters may have minor edits made to their length or grammar.

The AS Review is distributed via electric bicycle, the purchase of which was made possible by the Sustainable Action Fund Grant Program.

Morgan Annable Alexandria Baker Ricky Rath Erasmus Baxter Julia Berkman Josh Hughes Chris Beswetherick Photographers Jonathan Pendleton Jaden Moon Janna Bodnar Adviser Jeff Bates

Editor-in-Chief Assistant Editor Lead Photographer Writers

Nancy Holt’s sculpture, “Stone Enclosure: Rock Rings,” looks like something out of a fantasy film, especially when shrouded by steam from Robert Morris’ nearby work, “Steam Works for Bellingham.” Read more about Western’s sculpture garden on page 8.

Photo by Jonathan Pendleton // AS Review

01.04.2017 • 3

EVENTS

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Silent Film Series: “Hamlet”

Jan 8 // 3 p.m. // Mount Baker Theatre // $10.50-$22.50 with half-price tickets for students depending on availability

Travel back in time to the era of silent films. This 1921 version of “Hamlet,” starring Asta Nielsen in the titular role, will be accompanied by the sounds of live pipe organ.

Student Theatre Productions (STP) presents the 24 Hour Play Festival Jan 7 // 7:30 p.m. // Old Main Theatre // Free

Come watch the fruits of fellow Western students’ imaginations at the culmination of this brief project. In the span of only 24 hours, students will write, rehearse, direct and perform 10 minute scenes.

“We Dreamt Deaf” VU Gallery exhibit

Jan 9-27 // 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays // Viking Union Gallery, VU 507 // Free

Enjoy the newest installment in the Associated Students-run gallery. Keep an eye out for an article about the exhibit in the AS Review next week.

National Geographic’s 50 Greatest Photographs

Runs through Jan 15 // 12-5 p.m. // Whatcom Museum, Lightcatcher Building // Visit museum for ticket prices

This exhibit showcases National Geographic’s most iconic photographs, and details the stories behind each image.

“Anastasia (The Royal Ballet)”

Jan 8 // 11 a.m. // Pickford Film Center // Free This recording of the Royal Ballet tells the story of the lost Russian princess, Anastasia, after the Russian Revolution.

Ice Climbing Excursion Pre-Trip Meeting Jan 11 // 6 p.m. // Outdoor Center // $200

The OC is hosting an ice-climbing excursion in Canada, from Jan 14-16.

Come to this informational meeting to get all the details about the trip, and read the article on page 6 for more information!

A note from the editors: In the last issue of fall quarter, we published a story about Humans vs. Zombies. That story identified Natalie Lang as a moderator of the game, when in fact she is the club president. We apologize for the error.

Top Ten: Jan 4-9 1

We Got it From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service

2

A Moon Shaped Pool Radiohead

3

Skiptracing Mild High Club

4

Sunlit Youth Local Natives

5

22, A Million Bon Iver

6

Schmilco Wilco

7

Manatee Commune Manatee Commune

8

IV BadBadNotGood

9

Signs of Light Head and the Heart

A Tribe Called Quest

Yes Lawd!

10 NxWorries KUGS is the Associated Students’ student-run radio station. Listen online at kugs.org. If you’re interested in getting on the waves, pick up a volunteer application in the station’s office on the seventh floor of the VU.

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Meet the people behind the mic at KUGS

BY JOSH HUGHES

A

Western’s unique radio station gives students a voice

t nearly any time of the day, you can tune in to 89.3 KUGS FM Bellingham and expect to hear something more refreshing than the usual slew of radio talk show hosts and top 40 singles. Built and run by students, Western’s own radio station prides itself as one of the most unique college stations in the country for just how integral students are to its existence.

“KUGS is truly remarkable because we are held to the standards of professional radio, and we meet and exceed everyone’s expectations time and time again,” program director Jordan Van Hoozer said. “All but one of our DJs are student volunteers, which is very impressive. I think KUGS also stands out because of the variety and content of our on-air programming. Our music is curated by students for students, so it’s quite representative of what Western students want to hear.”

This quarter KUGS is a 24/7 station, meaning it never goes off the air and it is constantly being run by students. Whether it’s a Music For The Masses show, a specialty show on beach goth music or news programming, the station can be heard at 89.3 FM or on their website at as.wwu.edu/kugs/ around the clock.

Each quarter students can sign up to volunteer with the station, starting as newsreaders and eventually working their way up to DJs. Van Hoozer helps coordinate the new student volunteers each quarter, training them over a course of five weeks and getting them prepared to be on air. Anyone is welcome to sign up to become a volunteer, but keep in mind that positions fill up quickly when signups become available each quarter.

While Van Hoozer runs the organization behind KUGS, the station also employs a Maintenance Engineer, a Music Director, a News and Public Affairs Director, an Operations Coordinator, a Marketing and Development Director, a Specialty Music Coordinator and a Project Manager, all of which are student positions. Jamie Hoover, the program manager, is the only non-student working at KUGS, though she keeps the station together and functions as the heart of the program.

Compared to other college stations, KUGS gives students many more opportu-

nities for getting on air, offering volunteers the opportunity to host a news show, a Music For The Masses show or a specialty show.

Music For The Masses is the station’s general music show in which DJs play music from a selection of hundreds of CDs picked out by Jackson Main, the music director.

Generally music labels or self-released artists will send their albums into the station, and it’s Main’s job to sift through and find the best new music. KUGS also follows a system that bases the type of music played on air by how much DJs play certain songs and albums. This way, the station is curated by students, for students.

Specialty shows (which volunteers can apply for each quarter) let DJs pick their own music based around some sort of theme, whether it be a genre, an aesthetic, or anything that binds music together.

In addition to the music shows, student volunteers can apply to have news reading shows if their interest lies more in journalism than music. KUGS also employs a Morning Show Host that goes on air every weekday morning.

“My favorite part about KUGS is probably just getting calls from people that are excited about whatever music I’m playing,” student volunteer and previous Music For The Masses DJ Chris Trotter said. Trotter also plans to host his own specialty show on various lo-fi music.

“KUGS is a fantastic way to meet people, and I definitely recommend getting involved here for anyone that might be interested, it’s a really great experience,” Van Hoozer said. “It’s a great way to discover new music, get involved with Western and the AS, and make friends!”

It’s easy to get involved with KUGS, whether that’s as a volunteer or as someone who just loves listening to music. While applications for this quarter are no longer available, students are invited to stop by the station, located on the seventh floor of the VU to ask about applications for spring quarter. The station is always open and looking for students with a passion for music and DJing. All you need to do is tune your radio to 89.3 FM to hear what Western students have been listening to.

BELOW LEFT: A student DJs one of the many radio shows hosted by KUGS. BELOW RIGHT: The music library at KUGS is extensive, spanning genres and format. Photos by Janna Bodnar // AS Review.

Students push for Western wind farm with gusto

BY ERASMUS BAXTER

A

plan for Western to help fund the construction of a wind farm is drawing support from groups across Western’s campus.

“Western can build a wind farm with other large energy purchasers in our region like Evergreen and Microsoft,” Galen Herz, Co-President of Students for Renewable Energy, said to a group of supporters. “And the energy this wind farm creates will be attributed to our university and drop our carbon emissions by a third. Which is huge!”

Conducted through Western’s electricity provider Puget Sound Energy (PSE), the plan would charge a 5 percent premium on Western’s electric bills over the span of 10 years. That money would be pooled with that of other program enrollees to pay off the cost of building a new wind farm southeast of Olympia.

On November 30, the Sustainable Action Fund (SAF) committee voted to support the proposal, moving it one step closer to reality. This vote was important as SAF funds would be used to pay the premium for Western’s involvement in the program. After a briefing by someone familiar with the process, supporters of the project said that with support from the SAF committee, the project is likely to be accepted by the university administrators who must ultimately approve the project Later that day, the AS Board of Directors passed a resolution in support of the wind farm plan noting that “Western Washington University is dedicated to being a leader in

01.04.2017 • 5

societal problem solving.”

The day before, around 30 students assembled on the lawn in front of Old Main to form a human windmill. As they rotated they chanted in favor of wind power. Speakers, including Herz, emphasized the global impact of climate change, and the need for leadership.

“A lot of other people outside of the United States, countries in the Global South, Indigenous People, they have a lot more at stake, and they didn’t cause this problem,” Herz said.

“There’s a very strong component of justice with climate change, that countries in the Global North, mostly wealthy, white countries, really need to take action to reduce climate change and make sure there is a just transition [away from fossil fuels].”

After windmilling for around 10 minutes, the students entered Old Main to deliver a petition supporting the wind farm project to administrators. The delivered petition had over 490 signatures from students and faculty. As of November 30 it had over 530 signatures online.

Keenan Murray, a sophomore, was part of the outer blade in the human windmill. He sees transitioning away from fossil fuels as one of the most important things for his generation to accomplish.

TOP: Students “mill about” in support of renewable energy.

“Things are already getting pretty bad,” BOTTOM: These participants in the rally hold white cardMurray said. “There’s a lot of talk about how board representing the potential wind turbine above their Western is a sustainable campus, and I think heads. Photos by Jaden Moon // AS Review people have a sense of that. That’s Western as a community, and so it would be cool if they Currently Western uses the SAF to purchase Renewable could actually act on that and make some concrete steps.”

Energy Credits or RECs to offset the carbon released in the Petitions were delivered to the offices of President Randproduction of its electricity. The SAF is funded by a fee to hawa and the University Vice Presidents who must approve students that was originally created to buy RECs, but has the project. Those who received them were friendly and since been used to fund a variety of campus projects. The supportive. Mark Brovak, Chief Operating Officer for the total cost of this program is estimated to be a decrease from Western Foundation, said that while he couldn’t speak for the cost of purchasing RECs and would free up SAF money the foundation, he was personally excited about the project. for reinvestment in other campus projects.

The program has been years in the making. PSE is a stateWhile the electricity from the wind farm would not be run energy company and had to receive approval from used directly by Western’s campus, it would constitute an state regulators for the program. However, if not enough equivalent increase in the amount of renewable energy institutions commit to the project it will not go forward. produced. Due to regulatory restrictions PSE is limited PSE needs to begin the project within the next year to take in how much renewable energy they can produce and advantage of a clean energy tax benefit that is set to expire. this program is a way around that limit, according to PSE representatives.

LEFT: A petition for Western to support the wind Supporters of the project have also pointed to an addifarm is brought to administration. Photo by tional benefit: a wind turbine with Western’s logo on it.

Jaden Moon // AS Review

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Outdoor Center hosts excursions including ice climbing and snowshoeing

BY JOSH HUGHES

Each quarter, the Outdoor Center here at Western offers trips and excursions that give students an opportunity to explore some the endless nature right outside our door.

While the entire list of Winter quarter trips can be found on posters around campus or through their website at http://as.wwu.edu/outdoor/excursions/, some of the major upcoming excursions include a Canadian ice climbing trip and a snowshoe venture to hot springs in Steven’s pass.

The Ice Climbing trip, which costs students $200, occurs from January 14-16, and the pre- trip meeting will take place on January 11 at 6pm. As with all excursions, students are welcome to register for the trip up until the day before the pre- trip meeting. A trip of moderate difficulty, dinners will be provided as well as the bus up to Canada.

Taking place in the town of Lillooet, B.C., the annual trip is a no experience necessary weekend of climbing and picking away at ice. The first day usually involves a climb called The Rambles, followed by Oregon Jack, and finally Marble canyon on the last day.

Seeing as this is the only quarter that the trip can happen, it is expected to be quite cold, snowy, and undeniably beautiful up in the Great White North.

Students will climb all day and spend the evenings cooking dinner and staying at a hotel in Lillooet. The Outdoor Center will provide ice gear, helmets, and harnesses,

but students are expected to bring sleeping equipment, day packs, and plenty of warm clothing. More information on the climbing areas themselves can be found at http:// www.westcoastice.com/.

The snowshoeing hot springs trip, a first for the OC, which costs $60, will take place on January 22, with the pre- trip meeting on January 18 at 6pm. An easier excursion than the ice climbing, the snowshoeing trip is intended to be a fun and relaxing day spent in the mountains.

Steven’s Pass, located on the Cowboy and Big Chief Mountains, offers breathtaking views in the winter as untouched snow accumulates only for students to lightly tread over. The hike culminates at a privately owned hot springs, where students get to take a break and soak in the natural water.

The OC will provide transportation and snowshoes, but students must be prepared with appropriate layers and day packs (trekking poles are also recommended).

These are but two of the 15 trips that will take place this coming quarter, which also include a spring break backpacking trip in Utah and a whitewater rafting trip in early February. Whenever school or work starts to wear you out, the Outdoor Center is there to provide a break from the ordinary and an opportunity to get outside and explore.

Minimum wage increases by $2.53 per hour

BY ERASMUS BAXTER

Students making minimum wage will see an increase in their financial straights next month when the state minimum wage jumps two dollars and fifty-three cents to $11.00 an hour.

The minimum wage is increasing as a result of Initiative 1433, Raise Up Washington, which passed in November with 57 percent of the vote statewide. Supporters of the initiative out-fundraised opponents by a ratio of 51 to 1, according to Ballotpedia.

The initiative will increase the minimum hourly wage to $11.00 in 2017, $11.50 in 2018, $12.00 in 2019 and $13.50 in 2020. After that, the minimum wage will increase based on the rate of inflation, as it does currently.

In addition, the initiative mandates that employers provide paid sick leave. Sick leave accrues at 1 hour for every 40 hours worked, and can be used after 90 days of employment.

It can also be used to care for sick family members or to deal with incidences of domestic violence.

Proponents contend that the current minimum wage does not provide enough money for many full time workers to support themselves or their families. They point to the economic benefits that increased spending power for consumers would bring. In addition, they point to the public health benefits of paid sick leave.

Opponents of the initiative claimed that an increased minimum wage would hurt business and lead to increased prices. They said that increasing the statewide minimum wage didn’t account for differing costs of living across different regions of the state.

Western student Augustus Lull works for Campus Dining Services and says he’ll use his increased pay to help pay for his

education, but he voiced some concerns.

“I imagine that theoretically, in response to wages going up, prices of things could go up,” Lull said. “But it’s just theoretics. We’ll have to see.”

Assistant professor of economics Dr. Adam Wright is the economics department’s labor expert. He says that while production costs will go up for companies using that pay minimum wage there is no cause for alarm.

“Past estimates of the effect of minimum wage increases on employment or hours worked typically find little or no response. That is, it doesn’t appear that employment decreases after minimum wage hikes,” he said in an email. “However, the minimum wage increases used in these estimates are much smaller than Washington’s $6 (63 percent) increase over the next four years.”

“Will employment remain unresponsive this time around? I don’t think we have historical data that allows for a confident answer, but extrapolating current estimates points in that direction.”

“Another possibility is that firms raise prices to compensate for higher costs. This is unlikely to happen in industries where goods are non-essential or consumers have a significant number of alternative options, like fast food. Any increase in prices at McDonald’s will be met with a relatively large drop-off in demand due, in part, to people choosing to eat at home.”

In the meantime, the Associated Students (AS) board of directors is taking steps to address the new minimum wage.

At their meeting on November 22 they discussed implementation and budget options. The increased wage will increase costs for paying hourly AS employees by $46,00 over the

next fiscal year. They have also decided to increase the wages of salaried employees to keep pace at an estimated cost of $140,000 over the fiscal year.

AS VP for Business and Operations Mary Moeller said in an email that budget shortfalls would likely be absorbed by AS reserves. However, discussions were suspended on November 30 upon news that University vice presidents “don’t want the AS to make salary decisions until they set some standards at the university level (and explore legal implications with the Student Business Office),” according to Moeller.

Looking forward, there is another discussion that we should be having around the minimum wage, according to Wright.

“This and other minimum wage increases likely hasten something that already threatens low-skill jobs: automation.

Increasing the cost of human labor makes working automation an even more attractive alternative for businesses,” he said in an email. “That isn’t to say we should nix the minimum wage simply to stall the inevitable automation revolution. It means we need to start thinking about the large populations of people who will be rendered unemployable by the march of technological progress, which now may be coming sooner rather than later.”

Year 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

WA Minimum Hourly Wage $11.00 $11.50 $12.00 $13.50 $13.50 + Inflation

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Two AS Review reporters share tips on how to survive winter quarter Winterize your house and save money on bills during the cold months

BY ERASMUS BAXTER Turn your heat on!

It might seem cheaper to try and get by without turning your heat up this winter. That is until water in your pipes freeze and explode your pipes. Now you don’t have running water to your shower, but you have it all over your floor. Water damage is expensive and will definitely make it a lot harder to renew your lease next time around.

Most leases mandate that you run your heat at least 60 degrees during the winter. Do it!

a house with outdoor faucets, but can be important. You don’t want any exterior pipes bursting and driving your water bill up either. If you can, turn off your exterior faucets water supply and drain the line after detaching any hose or other attachment. Then insulate the faucet.

This can be as easy as buying an insulating cover at the hardware store, or just duct taping some rags over it. You live in Bellingham, you don’t need to water your plants.

Insulate windows One way to keep that heating bill low is to make sure your warm air isn’t being immediately leached into the great, freezing outdoors. Try putting some heavy curtains over your windows. If you live in a house with single pane windows, you can buy plastic sheeting that you can attach to the inside of your windows to insulate them.

Worst case scenario hang a blanket over them. Don’t let lack of insulation cause you window pain!

Eliminate drafts With how old a lot of houses in Bellingham are, you’re sure to get some drafts from ghosts and architectural failures. While exorcisms might cure spooky drafts, you need something more mundane for regular drafts. Try to find the source of drafts and cover them if possible. Otherwise consider covering doorways and other entrances with blankets to trap in heat.

Prepare outdoor faucets This only applies if you have

Move somewhere warmer Did you know the temperature in Miami is in the low eighties right now? Just saying...

What to do when your body fails you and everything hurts: a winter illness survival guide by Julia Berkman Well. It’s winter. Again. You’d think by now we’d be prepared for it. We aren’t.

It starts with a smell. You know the one. The one like a walk-in freezer feels.

It accompanies the first sneeze of your impending disease; the smell that signals you’ll be out of commission for a few days. It grips your heart with fear. You might as well email your professors now and tell them that you’ll be in a Nyquil-induced haze for the next few days.

So, what do you do when, during the busiest and darkest quarter of the year, you get sick? So often, college students will ignore their own minor illnesses in order to attend their classes. Hi, it’s me, common sense, here to tell you how bad of an idea that is. I can guarantee (and doctors will agree), that even one day of rest will end your cold much quicker than just soldiering on.

Think of it this way: your immune system is a tired single mother of four (million) white blood cells. It’s your job to make her life as easy as possible so she can do her job.

This is the best tip I can give you. For all your fear of missing classes, I promise that trying to focus while sick will keep you from absorbing information anyway.

One day of rest will save you and your grades.

The next thing you can do to guarantee a quick recovery is hydrate. What comes out should be as clear as the

water that went in, if you’re picking up what I’m putting down. You should be filling your water bottle twice a day or more. Water is essential to a functioning immune system, as well as working to flush out the germs faster.

I cannot tout the benefits of tea enough. I really can’t. If you have a sore throat, some tea with honey may possibly change your life. If you’re congested, praying to any deity for air’s clear passage through just one nostril, drink some tea. The heat of it will help the congestion settle down.

Let’s talk about congestion, actually.

Whether it’s in your head or your chest, being stuffed up can linger for weeks after a cold fades. The best way to unstopper yourself is with heat. Baths work great for a chest cold, and is also some radical self love we all could use in the winter.

Sinus pressure, however, is another demon entirely. You feel like the kids from those Gushers commercials just before their heads explode. The best thing I can recommend is Sudafed Sinus Pressure+Pain. I honestly don’t even know what’s in it, it could be actual magic. Suffice it to say, it works.

We all know how to not get sick: wash your hands, eat healthy, stay warm, etc. Here’s what you do when you get sick anyway. Good luck, stay strong, and don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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“Moonlight”: a movie review Sculpture collection defines Western’s campus

BY JULIA BERKMAN

“Moonlight” is a new film that has made quite an impact since its release in October of this year.

The film is currently being shown at the Pickford, and has received widespread critical acclaim. Keep reading for a full synopsis of this groundbreaking story.

Warning: spoilers ahead “Moonlight” is a film told in three acts: the loss of innocence in Chiron’s youth, his turbulent adolescent years, and the culmination of his life in adulthood.

Dubbed a different nickname in each act, Chiron grows from a silent child to a drug dealer attempting to hide his youthful disposition.

In the first act, Chiron is dubbed Little because of his small stature. Little’s act is a tale of hero worship and disappointment. He meets Juan, a dealer, while running from bullies. Juan takes him home, feeds him and introduces him to his girlfriend, Theresa, in his lavish Miami home. Juan becomes a father figure to Little, despite the fact that he is the one who sells crack to Chiron’s mother.

“Moonlight” is named so because of a quote from Juan.

In his youth, Juan was told that when black boys run under the moonlight, they glow blue. The moon serves as a central motif in this moving and visually stunning film.

Years could be spent dissecting the cinematography in “Moonlight.” Each shot is curated, perfectly executed to achieve a visceral reaction in its viewers.

The camera work used in relation to violent scenes is also notable. Swirling camera work that tracks the main character during an aggressive moment leads you into the frantic world of Miami’s underground scene. When Chiron’s friend Kevin is forced to fight with him, for example,

BY CHRIS BESWETHERICK

the camera tracks the instigator, Terrell, as he stalks his prey. The cinematography in “Moonlight” makes you feel like you know Chiron as he grows up. You can still recognize his mannerisms by the time he’s all grown up.

Chiron’s second chapter of his life is the worst one: high school.

Chiron struggles with his peers and his feelings for Kevin. What Chiron isn’t, Kevin is: a brighteyed cheerful boy. Their relationship blossoms and wilts in a day; they share an affectionate moment alone on the beach, but less than 24 hours later Terrell convinces Kevin to beat Chiron up. Shy Chiron is beaten, but refuses to press charges against his only friend.

Another storytelling feature of the movie is lighting. You can feel the emotions of a scene in which the warm light that envelops Kevin like a hug as he smokes outside the diner. The pink light that shines on Chiron’s mother illuminates her harshly as she screams at him. The blue light that reflects off young Chiron’s skin on the beach is a nod to the movie’s title.

The third and final act in Chiron’s life, in which he is known as Black, is short. Black lives in Georgia, trapping just as Juan did many years ago. Chiron has reinvented himself as a hard and callous leader. His delicately compiled facade crumbles when he receives a call from Kevin.

I’ll leave the ending up to you, but I’ll tell you it’s nothing that makes you feel content and complete. Even if Kevin and Chiron end up happily together, that was not the point of the movie. It’s dangerous to be in love with another man when you also trap. Even in the last scene, where Kevin has his arm around Chiron, nothing is certain but the moment they’re in.

At

Western, art is not just something to hang on gallery walls and look at. Art is an integral and interactive part of campus.

“Wright’s Triangle” by Richard Serra Minimalist sculptor Richard Serra studied under Constantin Brâncuși, attended Yale, has permanent work in the Bilbao Guggenheim and is known internationally. Also, the Outdoor Sculpture Garden has installed one of his pieces.

It creates a room in the middle of campus, separated from the rest of it, but very much integrated. Paths intersect in the sculpture; its walls surround the intersection and have openings where the paths once were. This minimalist sculpture creates silence. Take a two minute break and enter the sculpture the next time you walk by it on campus.

“For Handel” by Mark di Suvero Another world-renowned sculptor, famous for his works made with enormous steel H-Beams, is Mark di Suvero. “For Handel” co-exists with the Performing Arts Center (PAC). Di Suvero, when asked to install a piece in the plaza of the PAC, decided the architecture of the PAC was designed like so to define its function for the study of music.

“I tried to give something to that space which is not just a plaza but also a roof for the rehearsal hall downstairs, and it has a magnificent view,” di Suvero said in an interview published in Clark-Langager’s “Sculpture in Place: A Campus as Site.” “I tried to give the sculpture a little bit of that inspirational moment/movement that Handel’s music has – the sensation of rapture, a spatial concept that gives a sense of being able to make it blaze.”

The sculpture also used to have a swing hanging down from the longest extending steel beam, but di Suvero decided to exclude it.

“Stone Enclosure: Rock Rings” by Nancy Holt Earthwork artist Nancy Holt had been visiting the deserts of Utah to install sculptures, but saw the Northwest as another step in her work. Her sculpture opened in 1978 and stands behind the south campus lawn toward the Fairhaven dorms.

Holt constructed ring windows into the sculpture to transform the enclosure into a compass. The windows give the audience a horizontal perspective into the adjacent lawn and forests. Holt also designed the sculpture to align with the north

star as she said Bellingham citizens and coastal navigators would be interested in knowing their location in the enclosure.

“Steam Works for Bellingham” by Robert Morris In 1974, this work opened with two modes: on and off.

These modes are established in order to conserve energy for the school, but also to create moments for the audience to interpret. When activated, a column of steam rises from the stones set into the ground and covers the field with mist.

The sculpture was inspired by a similar type of steam vent that was on campus for a functional purpose. In 1971, there was an exposed pipe that would release steam. The concept of that influenced the sculpture.

This area of the sculpture garden contains four installations and Morris’ work adds to the effect of the others. Nancy Holt said Morris’ sculpture made hers more eerie and surreal.

“The Man Who Used to Hunt Cougars for Bounty”

by Richard Beyer Seattle artist Richard Beyer installed a sculpture outside of the Wilson Library entrance. The sculpture depicts a man who used to hunt cougars as a job -- a way of life. The story that inspired the sculpture describes a man and a cougar drinking together. Then, they both begin singing in unison and embracing each other. The artist etched in a bottle of whisky on the man’s back. The shape of the work sparked a lot of debate on campus regarding the suggestive meaning of the two bodies.

“Cause and Effect” by Do Ho Suh Inside the Academic Instructional Center West hangs hundreds of intertwined figurines. Hanging lowest is a single figurine painted the most intense red, and as the eye travels up the sculpture, the groups of figurines grow in immense sizes until there is a plethora of figures. The sculpture hangs down two stories in the building and represents the coexistence between a single entity and groups of them.

“The work is an attempt to decipher the boundaries between a single identity and a larger group, and how the two conditions coexist,” the artist said.

In addition to the sculptures described, Western is home to many more sculptures. Next time you find yourself on campus with a few minutes to spare, see how many you can find.

BELOW: “Wright’s Triangle.” Photo by Jonathan Pendleton // AS Review

ABOVE: “The Man Who Used to Hunt Cougars for Bounty.” Photo by Jaden Moon // AS Review